What are main questions facing England before Euros?

When it came to selecting her England starting XI for the defense of their European title, Sarina Wiegman stated last week that she was “still figuring out a couple of things.”

The England manager’s line-up for their final game before the Uefa European Women’s Championship, however, gave a clear indication of what she had in mind with five days until the Lionesses’ opener in Switzerland.

England greeted Jamaica with a 7-0 thrashing of England at King Power Stadium on Sunday.

They depart from Zurich on Monday and arrive in Switzerland ready for Euro 2025, with their opening group game against France on Saturday at 20:00 BST.

The last player to impress was in the England victory over Jamaica, and Lauren James and Georgia Stanway were no exceptions.

Chelsea forward James’ fitness has been one of the biggest concerns entering the Euros, but she gave Wiegman a boost by playing 27 minutes against Jamaica, her first game for the club or nation since April, with a clever assist.

After having knee surgery in January and missing the remainder of the domestic campaign, Bayern Munich midfielder Stanway scored against Jamaica, but perhaps more crucially, she has now played 90 minutes for the first time this year.

One of three US-based players who joined late in their league seasons to compete for the left-back spot, Carter was given the go-ahead on Sunday.

She claimed last week that she “panicked a little” because of how intense the training was, and that she would need to “step up” and “give Wiegman a headache.”

She did that without a doubt. As she impressed in both defense and attack, the Gotham FC defender made a crucial last-ditch challenge in the first half before scoring Lucy Bronze’s header to make it 2-0.

Karen Bardsley, a former England goalkeeper, said: “She should be very pleased and very proud of her performance today.

Wiegman claims that England has “at least two players in every position,” but midfield is one of the most competitive areas.

She has a strong belief in Stanway and Keira Walsh’s deeper pairing and has a strong love for three in midfield. Now that Stanway has played 190 minutes for England in her previous three games, it’s likely to continue.

The creative number 10 role has previously been filled by Grace Clinton, Toone, Jess Park, and James for the past two years, and it is up for grabs.

Toone, a Manchester United player, was given the go-ahead against Jamaica when she scored the winning goal within 10 minutes, which captained a passing move between the three midfielders, before half-time, and doubled her lead.

Wiegman knows she can count on Toone, who was one of England’s top super-subs at Euro 2022, and Bardsley said: “The fact that she’s adding goals at this time is really exciting for England.

Wiegman also needs to select her starting lineup. One question remains whether James is fit enough to face France. Who does Wiegman choose if not?

Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead have been vying for the right-wing starting positions at Arsenal and England, but the latter started against Jamaica, where they finished Euro 2022 as the tournament’s top scorer and best player, so they appear to be slightly ahead in the pecking order.

In the lead-up to the tournament, England lost three seasoned players.

Millie Bright, who led England to the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, withdrew because she was unsure whether to play for the team until she reached the final, while midfielder Fran Kirby and goalkeeper Mary Earps both retired, though only the former would have been going to Switzerland.

In England’s Euro 2022 success, Bright and Williamson had forged a crucial centre-back partnership, and they both started every game in Australia. However, Greenwood, the captain of Manchester City, is now playing solid backup.

Maya Le Tissier, the captain of Manchester United, is eager to get a chance, and Lotte Wubben-Moy, an experienced player at the club level, has played alongside Williamson numerous times.

A question about whether or not their experience will be missed applies to the three absentees because they have 218 caps between them.

Seven players make their major tournament debut for England, and two of them, Anna Moorhouse and Khiara Keating, are uncapped goalkeepers. Hannah Hampton has only made 16 appearances for England, the most of them.

However, the World Cup squad’s top players include 134-cap Bronze, seasoned defender Greenwood, and midfield duo Walsh and Toone among the group’s leaders.

Russo is constantly present, having led England’s attacking line since 2022 when Ellen White retired. She recently won both the WSL’s Golden Boot and the Champions League with Arsenal.

Hemp, a forward for Manchester City, has also recovered from a knee injury and appeared sharp in recent games despite not having played for the full 90 minutes.

The squad has a good balance between encouraging young talent and plenty of experienced players, so Wiegman won’t have to worry.

What’s of course of the course if goalkeeper Hampton is injured or suspended during the tournament, though, is the main concern?

It appeared to be a chaotic build-up as a result of Earps, Bright, and Kirby’s unexpected exits weeks before the Euros, which cast doubt on the camp’s sense of urgency.

Fran Kirby, a Brighton midfielder, told Sportsworld on BBC World Service’s Sportsworld, “I can see why people have been talking about this a lot and there is a feeling of unrest.”

“But everyone resisted the choices made by those players, and the situation just got worse.” On the outside, there was a lot more noise. Being on the other side is fascinating.

Everyone in the squad is very confident, they say. Everyone is aware of our incredible squad. There is a lot of depth here.

“The loss of us three doesn’t worry me,” he said. In international football, it always occurs. Younger players are entering a transition period.

The fitness of James, Greenwood, Hemp, and Stanway has also been questioned.

All four of the players played against Jamaica, which was a significant boost, and FA Chairman Mark Bullingham expressed optimism about England’s chances last week.

We would prefer for them to play for at least half a season, but that is not a reality, according to Bullingham.